How You Should Really Cook a Steak

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In Esquire's May issue,chef Tom Colicchio said roasting is the best way to prepare a steak. Reader Michael Savage wrote in asking how to do this. So for him — for all of us, really — here is a roasted-steak recipe from Andrew Carmellini of New York's Locanda Verde, a version of which is included in our new cookbook, Eat Like a Man. Which you can buy here, by the way.

The Steak

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Lightly film it with oil and add the steak, generously seasoned with salt and pepper. Sear for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side. Lightly sear the edges using tongs to rotate the meat. Transfer steak to a baking sheet and place in oven. Cook for 8 minutes, then flip and cook for another 8 minutes for medium rare (internal temperature 115 to 125 degrees). Remove pan from oven. Let meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slathering with roasted-garlic puree. Return pan to oven to heat steak, about 3 minutes. Carve away from the bone into thick slices.

Roasted-Garlic Puree

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the tops off of two heads of garlic and place each in the center of a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and seal the foil to make an airtight packet. Place the packets in a shallow baking dish in the oven and roast until the garlic cloves are soft, about 1 hour. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the soft cloves into a bowl. Add 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 tsp honey, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and ½ tsp coarse salt. Whisk to a paste. Slather.

And in case that's not enough — or in case you really want to be outside when you make your steak — here are some grilling tips... from, coincidentally, a very good-looking supermodel. Happy Fourth.